Connecting-rod for railway-switches



(No Model.)

I W P DO-DSON.

CONNECTING ROD FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES. Patented June 28, 1887.

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UNITED ST TES PATENT Orr ca.

WILSON I. DODSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO ALEXANDER H.EGE, OF MEOHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONNECTING-ROD FOR RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed August 3, 1886.

To aZZ whom it Truly concern:

Be it known that I, WILsoN P. DODSON, of Philadelphia, in the'county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Connecting-Bars for Railroad-Switches; and I dohereand exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,refereuce being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.-

My invention relates to railroad-switches, and has for its object toprovide the movable pointed rails of switches with such bearings for theswivel tie or connecting'bars as shall secure increased strength,flexibility of lateral movement, sameness of length of tie-bars, andsimplicity and cheapness of structure, as well as a minimum liability offault in operation.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the main trackand siding, showing my improvement with the switch set to the main line.Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through line 00 y of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a modification showing the upper bearing of the swivel-pin tobe an anglebar. Fig. 4 is a modification in which one limb only of theangle-bar is COIIBIIIIIIOUS, the'other limb being a series ofprojections or lugs. Fig. 5 is a modification showing a series ofsectionalanglev or T bars corresponding to the number of tie- Fig. 6 isa plan view of the lug or lower perforated bearing of the swivel-pindetached. V Similar reference-letters indicate like parts in all thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings, A A are thefixed rails of themain track andsiding, respectively.

B B are the pointed and laterally-movable rails of the switch.

D D- D D are the connecting or tie bars used to unite the switch-railsand keep them in their respective relative positions.

The switch-rails B B, sections of the main track and siding,respectively, being pointed at the ends b b, as shown,'are adapted tofit snugly against the fixed rail A of'the main line when the switch isset for the siding or against the fixed rail A of the siding when setfor the main line. The switch-rails B Bare fished at Patent. No.365,359, dated June 28, 1887.

Serial No. 209,90l. (No model.)

the ends 0 c to the permanent rails O 0, their prolongations of thesiding and main line, respectively. V

D D D D are the connectingbars by which the pointed switch-rails B B areactuated laterally in the same horizontal plane when the switch isoperated for shunting. In order, however, that said pointed rails maymove freely in cases of short leads that attend short radii ofcurvature, it has been found necessary in practice to provide theconnecting-bars with some means of flexible adjustment that will readilyadmit of said lateral movement without distortion, and yet at the sametime afford absolute rigidity under vertical pressure. To attain thisend said bars have heretofore been jointed at points more or lessremoved from the longitudinal centers of the same, thus dividing thebars into arms or sections of greater or less lengths, to whose freeends are welded transverse pieces,which in turn are fastened to thepoint-rails by means of bolts passing through the webs of the latter. Bythis means of adjustment, in addition to the increased cost entailed,the disadvantage of a welding is encountered that is most liable tofault and disrupture, even under the most favorable circumstances. In mydevice, however, I am able to secure the required flexibility by the useof a continuous bar of the required dimensions, andat the same timeattain the greatest mechanical advantage possible by bringing the pointof articulation in close proximity to the point of greatest resistance,and thus utilizing the maximum percentage of power. To this end,therefore, I fasten the transverse beam M of a continuous T or angle barinto the inner longitudinal depression of the pointed switchrails B B bymeans of bolts or rivets passing through said transverse beam and thewebs of said pointed rails. In this case the other or free limb of theangle-bar, occupying a horizontal plane and extendinginwardly to asufficient distance beyond the lateral limits of the inner flanges ofthe pointed rails, affords a bearing for the vertical perforation of thesame sufficiently strong for the reception of aswivelpin, P, andextending inwardly to the distance required to admit of the readypassage of the said swivel-pin through the said perforated limb at sucha point' as will clear the said innor flange of thepoint-rails, as shownin Fig. 2. As a further bearing for the reception of said swivel-pin Pwhen in position for the performance of its function, I rivet fast tothe under side of said inner flangea lug or plate, L, alsoperforated,and so located that said perforation maybein verticalalignment with the aforesaid perforation of the free limb of theangle-bar M.

The advantage gained by the use of this combination of perforated lowerplate or lug and perforated free limb of angle-bar, as considered inrelation to their extension inwardly beyond the inner lateral limits ofthe inner flanges of the pointed rails, is, first, the attainmentofamost conveniently-located and ample intermediate seat or slot betweenthe lower bearing-surface of the projecting limb of the bar M and theupper bearing-surface of the lug L for the free horizontal reception ofthe similarly-perforated and engaging ends of the unwelded plaintie-bars D D I) D; secondly, said ample breadth of bearing admits ofsueha location of the perforations as will allow of the use of tie-bars of acommon or identical length. This latter consideration is very valuablefrom the fact that observation has shown that many accidents that happento switches are confined to the breakage of one or more bars,and thenecessity for their ready replace ment by bars that may be usedinterchangeably, that is not possible if the bars are of differentlengths, as is the case when the perforations are identical in position.To attain this desired variation in the location of the perfora tionsfor the swivel-pins in connection with the requisite strength, inaddition to increased breadth of projecting limb of the angle-bar M, asaforesaid, I increase by means of my device the breadth of thepoint-rail flanges by riveting to theunderside thereof thelugs L.

I am aware that a T or angle bar has been used to strengthenthepoint-rails ofa switch undcr the conditions of safetyin shunting. Iam also aware thataT or angle bar has been used for the same generalpurpose in connection with having its horizontal projecting limbperforated, in combination with the perforated inner flange ofthepointed rails, for other specific purposes in addition, and thereforeI do not claim, broadly, either of these combinations.

\Vhat I do claim as new, and desire to so cure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a rail, of a bear ing-plate secured to the webof the rail,having a perforated projection or lug, a perforated plate orlug pivoted or bolted to the flange of said rail and extending beyondthe lateral limits of said flange, and bolts 01' pins passing throughthe perforations of both upper and lower plates and adapted to securethe connecting-rods, as set forth substantially.

2. The eombination,with the rail and bearing-plate secured to the web,of perforated plates, secured to the flange of the rail and projectingtherefrom, connecting-bars entering between said plates, and boltspassing through the plates and the bars, substantially as described.

The combination, with the two moving rails of a switch, of projectingplates and continuous angular shaped strengthening bearings, secured,the hearings to the webs and the plates to the llanges of the rails, anda series of plain tie-bars of the same length, each pivoted at the endsbetween said plates and bean ings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two snlr scribing witnesses.

\VILSON P. DODSON.

Wi t ncsses:

Sum M. CLEMENT, F. ll. ELDniDcn.

